Staff from The Islands’ Sounder and Journal of the San Juan Islands took home 21 state newspaper awards this month, including General Excellence for the Sounder.
Winners of the 2024 Washington Better Newspaper Contest were announced during the 137th annual awards ceremony of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association in Olympia on Oct. 5.
Approximately 50 papers statewide submitted 1,562 entries in such categories as news, photography and advertising. This year, judges for the contest were from the Arizona Media Association.
In addition to General Excellence, Sounder Publisher Colleen Smith Summers won the following.
Second place, general feature story: “Squirrel Dialogues is moving off the island.”
First place, photo essay: “Shining stars come out at the fair.”
Third place, social issue story: “The long and winding road to permanent residency.”
Third place, personality profile: “A life with color | Jessi Powers and Sydney Harris share their love story.”
Third place, topical, in-paper section: Women in Business (includes contributors Toby Cooper, Diane Craig and Heather Spaulding).
Journal editor Heather Spaulding won the following.
First place, animal feature story: “Return to the wild.”
Third place, general feature: “Jennifer Armstrong receives achievement award.”
Third place, crime and court story: “Jason Aldous sentenced to seven years.”
Second place, business news story: “Investing in buildings business and community.”
First place, editorial: “Protecting our youth.”
First place, environmental story: “Saving the Gregarious Sunflower Sea Stars.”
Second place, government story: “Code Enforcement as a process toward compliance.”
Third place, history feature: “The Pioneer Building restoration underway.”
First place, social issue story: “Ending racism for a better America.”
Second place, social issue story: “Trans Visibility Day.”
Second place, news story, short: “Pride display fixed within hours after vandalism.”
First place, personality profile, short: “D’Errico aims to make the impossible possible in SkatePark Hero Contest.”
Former Journal reporter Kelly Balcomb-Bartok won first place in a government story with “County Council moves forward with Home Trust on Argyle project” and third place in animal feature story with “Tokitae’s death ends dream to return her home.” Former Journal reporter Isabel Ashley won third place for a health or medical story with “COVID-19 vaccine availability on San Juan Island.”
About the WNPA
Washington Newspaper Publishers Association is an advocate for community newspapers, freedom of the press and open government. The association is dedicated to helping members advance editorial excellence, financial viability, professional development, and a high standard of publication quality and community leadership.
WNPA represents community newspapers in Washington state. It is the successor to the Washington Press Association, founded in 1887 by newspapers in Dayton, Ellensburg, Seattle, Tacoma, Yakima and Walla Walla.
Today, WNPA operates a statewide advertising network, manages a website containing all the legal advertisements that were published in print newspapers, and provides training and legal advice to its members. In collaboration with Allied Daily Newspapers and the Washington Coalition on Open Government, WNPA advocates for transparent government and press freedom.
